Tom Daley First In 10 Meter Diving Prelims

Tom Daley, the British diver who so many remember as a 14-year-old in Beijing but who has steadily risen up the ranks in the diving world, finished the preliminary round of the men’s 10-meter platform in first place.

Daley, who is openly gay, beat out some of the favorites, including Chinese divers Qiu Bo and Chen Aisen, as well as American diver David Boudia, who won Olympic gold in this event four years ago.

The semifinals of the 10-meter platform will be Saturday morning, with the final coming Saturday afternoon.

Unfortunately for Daley, his lead will be back to zero once the next round begins as scores are reset each round. Still, with a bronze for 10-meter synchronized diving this year, and a bronze from the 10-meter platform in London, he has a great shot to medal.

Daley is one of a couple dozen LGBTI athletes who have won a medal in these games. He is openly gay and is engaged to marry screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.